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Cabinet said the government will bear residency costs for some “refugees from neighboring countries” for four years after they rectify their stay in the Kingdom, state news agency SPA reported yesterday. The government will also waive fees for work permits, the expat levy, dependent fees, and residency-related fines. It did not provide details on which nationalities to be included under the scheme.
There is no official data on the number of refugees living in Saudi, but humanitarian agency KSRelief says most of those it helps in Saudi are from Yemen and Syria as well as Rohingya people, largely from Myanmar. Saudi has also welcomed thousands of Sudanese people who fled the war in Sudan in the past year.
Also approved at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting:
- Mandating the Investment Minister to discuss and sign a MoU promoting FDI with San Marino;
- Mandating the Economy and Planning Minister to discuss and sign a draft economic cooperation agreement with Serbia;
- Mandating the Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister to discuss and sign a MoU on water desalination between the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWWC) and South Korean counterparts;
- Mandating the State Security Chief to discuss and sign a MoU with Pakistan’s Military Intelligence in combating terrorism and its financing;
- A MoU on political consultations between the Foreign Ministry and Dominican counterparts;
- A MoU between the Justice Minister and North Macedonia and another with Comoros;
- A MoU between the government and the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on public policy;
- A MoU between the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRRC) and Iraqi counterparts on nuclear and radiation safety;
- Two MoUs with Barbados and Mali in air transport services.
